So, here's a look at the top five Big Threes, from this angle at least:

Duncan, Parker, Ginobili: The cream of the crop; good inside and outside, getting to the basket, making jumpers. Oh, and they win, too. A lot.

Nash, Stoudemire, Marion: These would be an average two without the first one but still almost as good as those three Spurs. Could shoot jumpers as a trio a wee bit better.

Billups, Hamilton, Wallace: You could probably swap Prince for Hamilton and wouldn't lose anything, which makes it a big four and that's what makes the Pistons so good. Trouble is, Billups tailed off last year and Wallace is too volatile.

KG, Pierce, Allen: They may move up this list after they've had one practice together. Or a game or two. For now, fifth.

Close, but not quite there:

Nowitzki, Terry, Howard: Somehow, something's lacking, and I think it might be at the PG spot.

Bosh, Ford, Bargnani: In a couple of years, they'll be approaching the top three.

Marbury, Curry, Randolph: If they get their heads on straight, they could do some damage.

Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur: Good. Very good.

Jameer Nelson, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis: All still need to prove themselves and improve their games.

ONE FINE DALES: We all know CBC is doing 10 games this season, up to 20 in the two years following and the story going around circles I run in is the network wants to put its own brand on the games, perhaps to the exclusion of the current broadcast teams.

That's led to rampant speculation about who they might get and what that "unique" look might entail.

Here's one:

Hire Stacey Dales.

Anyone who's seen her work on ESPN – doing college basketball, men's and women's, along with college football – can attest to her broadcast abilities. She's going to be a great one for a long time.

And CBC isn't really long on polished basketball broadcasters, although Elliotte Friedman is a pro with a passion for the game. So, Dales would immediately become one of the most knowledgeable basketball voices the corporation could employ.

I have no idea how it'd fit into her already busy schedule but college football ends in November, her basketball duties at ESPN wouldn't conflict with Sunday afternoon and I don't imagine her WNBA career – for however long it lasts – is a conflict, either.

So, it's a no-brainer, right? Unique, talented, Canadian broadcaster. What could be wrong?

NEW DAY FOR DELFINO: One of the more interesting parts of Raptors camp will be to see how Carlos Delfino fits, and what his role is.

Scouts tell you he's got sublime skills but something's been holding him back. It's either a lack of aggressiveness, a sense of entitlement or the fact he's been behind a handful of all-stars in Detroit. The stories vary with every conversation it seems.

Well, he's about to be handed a very large role in games this summer and there are those who think that's just what he needs to get his confidence back. With Argentina at the Olympic qualifier in Las Vegas later this month, Delfino will get every chance to show what he's got.

"Carlos always holds a very smart place as he knew that he had Manu Ginobili playing in his position," Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez is quoted as saying on a FIBA website. "Now is different. Today, all the power in the attack game depends on him.

"We are talking about a player who can take the weight and the leadership on his back."

If Delfino handles that responsibility well, and if Argentina plays well at the qualifier, is there a chance he comes to camp with as much confidence as Jose Calderon did last year?

GARBO UPDATE: Got a quick note from a Raptors training staff guy who was in Spain working with Garbo.

Seems Garbo, as we all expected, is coming along just fine, a bit ahead of schedule and still hoping to at least take part somehow in the European championships next month – he's on the final 12-man Spanish roster.

But, Garbo is "certainly not doing any five-on-five drills" the report goes.

MAKIN' A LIST

"Which five players have the prettiest jumpers in the league? I'd have to include Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, Gilbert Arenas, Nash and Stephon Marbury (I always liked it for some reason) Who do you think is the best in Raptors history? I like Dell Curry and Alvin Williams."

Ian Toye, Seoul, Korea

So many guys, so many styles, so many shooters.

Okay, here's five guys I could watch shoot all day:

Ray Allen

Peja Stojakovic

Mike Finley

Steve Nash

Vince Carter

And all Raptor discussion stops and starts with Dell Curry, greatest, smoothest stroke you've ever seen. Watching him catch and shoot was watching a world-class volleyball setter, the ball never really stopped.

BASKETBALL 101

"All right, Mr. Smith. I have sent this question in four times now with no response. I figured it was a perfect 'Basketball 101' question, but maybe it's a bit too much about league intricacies, rather than basketball basics – how does 'Basketball 306' sound?

"All kidding aside:

"1. When a player, coach, owner, etc. is fined by the league where does the money go? Does the league keep it? Do they give it to a charity? Do they get Stu Jackson to secretly put it down in Vegas on a Donaghy-reffed playoff game?

"2. If a player is fouled on a shot and awarded free throws, but is somehow injured during the shot or afterwards (and therefore can't take the free throws), who takes the shots in his absence and how is this decided?

"At any rate, I am asking you to be benevolent and answer these questions for me, since I've been curious now for about a year. Don't make me take this to one of those guys on espn.com. I don't want an explanation from John Hollinger that requires a Ph.D. in stats to understand.

"Thanks Doug."

Mike Dawson, Toronto

Fifth time lucky, my man.

And trust me, I'm not giving answers that require Ph.Ds to decipher. As a few people would tell you, I'm not that smart.

On the fines, the money goes to the league and into a fund they use for their various charitable endeavours. And by charitable endeavours, I don't mean rest homes for aged beat grunts.

On the fouls, if a player is injured and cannot shoot, the opposing team gets to pick a player to take the free throws and the originally fouled player cannot come back into the game.

MAIL BAG

Q: Let me first start off by saying I cannot wait for the NBA season to begin. Really excited. All right now let's get to it. I think you are completely wrong about everything.

Boston will be a very good team, probably in the top 3 if not first or second. There is not one player in the East that can stop KG and quite frankly I think he will easily manhandle your star Chris bosh. R. Wallace probably has the best chance to stop him. The trio in Boston is all unselfish players. It will take time for them to gel but once they do it's over. Double team KG and Ray Allen will nail the three. Easy as that.

Also I believe Bosh will no longer be perceived as one of the best forwards in the East. I think Raptor fans have every reason to panic. Almost every team in the East has gotten better. It's just a matter of giving them time to gel. The Raptors on the other hand are still the same. It's funny what Bryan C is trying to do. Trying to make the Raptors a European team. This isn't international competition so it will not work. And Kapano. Can he even create his own shots?

PS. Oak should come back, if Kevin Willis can still be in the league so can he. I like the fact that Raptors got Moon. He can be good.

Riar Jashdeep, Toronto

A: I guess by "completely wrong about everything" you're not a big fan?

Well, you're not alone in that assessment but, I have to tell you, the feeling is mutual.

Really, I don't know where to start since you're not so much asking questions as making blanket statements, some of which, truth be told, made me laugh out loud.

So, here goes on some of them:

Boston: Top 3, if not first or second. Maybe in a three-on-three game. If you're talking three-on-three, you could very well be right.

Not one player in the East can stop KG: Maybe in a one-on-one game, you might be right. Maybe. Perhaps you could take a second and actually closely watch an NBA game or two. No one is defended entirely one-on-one so your point is, um, out there.

Whatever that zany double-team point is you're making. Do you think coaches will double-team Garnett off Ray Allen? I presume your coaching career is stalled.

The perception of Bosh. Does he all of a sudden stink because the Celtics added Kevin Garnett? That's a tad confusing, isn't it? C'mon, admit it, you had no idea what you meant, right.

Panic? Oh yeah, they should panic, they should fret and worry and not buy tickets and not watch games because there's absolutely no sense in playing any of the games.

Yeah, the Raptors are still the same. The new starting small forward, likely a new starting centre, an entirely new big-man rotation, a new swingman to replace Morris Peterson. All means nothing. It's like a mirror image of last year.

Moon? Oh yeah, the Hall of Fame can't wait for him to actually take part in an NBA practice, let alone a game.

This has been fun. On to the next question.

Q: Doug, please stop ignoring my intelligent questions!

Everyone knows defence wins championships, so why is it that the Raps keep going for more offence? Any defensive-minded team will easily shut us down. I know it's more fun to watch, but the goal is to win. Is BC trying to prove he can win with mostly offence?

Rick King, Ottawa

A: I must have missed all those 2-0 Spurs wins.

I see your point but this isn't football and you don't have 'defensive' and 'offensive' players, as you well know. NBA defence is a team concept, which comes from coaching and commitment from the players. Every NBA player can play passable defence in the right scheme (everyone talks about how Dallas became a "defensive" team and Dirk Nowitzki still can't keep anyone in front of him) so it's up to a coaching staff to convince the players that the defensive principles (funnel everything baseline or force them towards the middle and a shot-blocker, go under screens or over them or show and recover) are going to work. Then, it's up to the players to put out the effort to make it work.

I don't want to make too much light of your "defence wins championship" contention but defence is in everyone, it just has to be brought out.

Q: I have a question about fantasy – and I don't mean the one you've got about Stumpy showing up at your door dressed like the pizza boy.

Boston's new trinity looks good on paper until you take the nanosecond to realize that they can't all be the number one option anymore. Assuming Pierce, KG and Ray Allen won't combine for 73.8 points a night (we can assume that, right?) someone's going to take a hit on the stat sheet. Assuming they all stay healthy (which won't happen – I can't wait until Pierce and Allen are out and KG is wishing he was back in Sota) who do you see sacrificing their numbers? I think KG will be a beast across the board but he won't score 20 a night.

And while we're on the topic of Ray Allen, is there a better name than "Jesus Shuttlesworth", the character he played in He Got Game?

P.J. Schmidt, Barrie

A: Dude, or dudette, if you think Stumpy's involved in anything close to a fantasy, you need to be committed to some rest home.

Who suffers in Boston? I'm not sure, to tell you the truth.

I can't imagine Pierce leading the team in scoring, rebounding and assists as he usually does so I guess it's fair to say his numbers will suffer.

But given the rest of that roster, those three could average 70 points a night between them. That's what happened in Washington last year with Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler and they actually had a far better supporting cast.

And, yes, Jesus Shuttlesworth was a very cool name. So was Amazing Grace Smith.

Q: Doug, I have a question I really hope you can reply to. I am really curious if you know any good reason why Leo Rautins is the coach of Canada and Jay Triano isn't? Jay has just been hired to coach or assist coach some pretty good players for a USA Select team. Jerry Colangelo has said he is a "logical choice". And if my memory serves me right Steve Nash (who really is the only person Canada Basketball should concern themselves with) was not pleased when Triano was fired. Leo tells us what he thinks the Raptors should do during games, but Triano tells Sam Mitchell what he thinks the Raptors should do.

Matt McLaughlin, Banff, Alberta

A: If you remember, I was highly critical of the decision to fire Jay way back in the day. It was shortsighted and made no sense. Fred Nykamp, who has since bailed as CEO of Canada Basketball to go run soccer (good luck, soccer), said at the time that Triano's time commitment to Canada wasn't good enough. Yes, it was stupid then, and it's stupid now.

This is not to take anything away from Leo, though. All he did was apply for a job and get it, which is to his credit.

So, there's your reason, Canada Basketball. Fred Nykamp. A henchman of his named Andrew Cook. Point the finger, if you must, in that direction.

Q: As a student who can't afford cable TV and can't afford to go the bar every time there is a Raptors game, CBC finally made a smart move by taking on some games and making the Raps available to the people.

On the same note, since I can only afford two games next season – which would you recommend? Please keep in mind that I will be sitting with the real fans in the Sprite Zone.

Karthik Senthilnathan, Mississauga

A: Ah, the life of a student. Sucks some times, doesn't it? Can you use the old one-beer-sit-all-night-in-the-bar trick? Make friends with a member of the wait staff some nights and they'll treat you well. Trust me, it works.

Now, for two games.

I'd take Phoenix, 'cause the Suns are wildly entertaining and you can cheer the local hero a bit.

And the second one's tough. If you want to see basketball at the highest level, I'd suggest San Antonio. If not, it's always intense when New Jersey's in town so that'd be another one; if you want to see lots of scoring, check out Golden State; Washington's fun to watch and, according to the fellow above, Boston may not lose a single game all year.

One tip: If you're picking games, check out that team's schedule to make sure they don't play the night before visiting the Raptors or, in the case of Western Conference teams, aren't at the end of a long, hard road trip. Those games tend not to be played at the highest level.

Q: Doug, hope your summer is going well.

Okay, so you're BC sitting somewhere in your lavish ACC office or in the south of Italy lounging around and you hear this KG deal is done. And on paper the Celt's all of a sudden look like the team to beat in the Atlantic Division. You look ahead towards the season in a blur as a Raptors GM you say, "I may be at worst jockeying with NJ for the 2nd or 3rd spot, cuz lets face it – Knicks? Sixers? Naww..."

Then maybe you look the bigger picture in the Eastern conference as a whole with Pistons, Cav's, Bulls. Now you're thinking I may drop to maybe 6th or 7th seed? "What the (expletive)-ing Canoli?!?!"

But you're a seasoned GM. You like what you put together. But somewhere in the back of your head you're wondering, "I really like my team. We got depth. But, I may have to pull the trigger on a trade at some point so I can, if it comes down to it, compete. Shall I wait to see how season begins to unfold? See where we are at some point, perhaps before December? Or pull something before season starts? And who to trade. Calderon? Maybe a package deal? And get what in return to fight off KG.

Your thoughts Doug?

Richard Pincay, Toronto

A: Summer? What summer? Between golf and football and the comings and goings of the heroes of the hardcourt, there hasn't really been a summer yet. But, soon, I shall be working at lowering my handicap, leading the Erindale Little League minor Yankees to glorious victory and doing all the chores I've been putting off since last summer.

But, I digress.

You should absolutely sit back and wait and see how the season unfolds. There's all kinds of hysteria floating around these days but all of it, right now, is unfounded. No one can say for certain how Boston or New York or even New Jersey and Orlando will be and Cleveland, as underwhelming a conference champ as I think they are, hasn't re-signed either Varejao or Pavlovic yet. Detroit? A year older and no Webber.

Given the various contracts, and players, the Raptors have to throw into a deal, I'm sure there will be packages available throughout the course of the season if things aren't going well.

For now, they've decided what the team is, I'm sure they want to see how it performs.

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